Our Lady Peace , sometimes called OLP >>>, is a Canadian rock band from Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of Raine Maida (vocals and guitar), Duncan Coutts (bass), Jeremy Taggart (drums), and Steve Mazur (guitar). They have four Juno Awards and 10 Much Music Video Awards (including the People's Choice Award). They were joined by a new member mainly for concerts, Joel Shearer (Pedestrian).
In late 1991, guitarist Mike Turner published an ad in Toronto's Now newspaper in search of musicians. Michael Maida, a criminology student at the University of Toronto>, is the first to answer. The two form a band called As If, inviting Jim Newell on drums and Turner's friend Paul Martin on bass. After several concerts in Oshawa, playing covers and original songs, Martin leaves shortly after, and the group publishes an announcement for a new bassist. Chris Eacrett, a business student at Ryerson University, answers and agrees to audition. At this time, Turner and Maida meet producer Arnold Lanni, director of Arnyard Studios. He and the band team up to record new songs under the name of As If.
Then they change their name to Our Lady Peace, according to Mark Van Doren's poem. Under the guidance of producer Lanni and his management team, the band plays in Eastern Ontario and Montreal with The Tea Party. This is where Maida first uses the nickname Raine, to avoid confusion between the two Mikes in the group. Since then, he will use it constantly.
An independent clip is shot and published for the song Out of Here in February 1992 by Sam Siciliano, a student of cinematographic art, with the help of Turner. The video is broadcast on MuchMusic in Indie. After returning to Arnyard Studios to record more songs, drummer Jim Newell leaves the band, and is replaced in session by John Bouvette. With managers Rob Lanni and Eric Lawrence from Coalition Entertainment representing the group, some showcases arranged with Warner Music Canada, EMI Canada, and Sony Music Canada. Sony Music Canada's A & R Director, Richard Zuckerman, will find potential in the group and its managers. The band signed with Sony Music Canada in April 1993, and began writing a first album. this period, the group recruits Jeremy Taggart on drums.
